Sep 13
Those who spend hours doing genealogy research typically find it to be fun and fascinating. Genealogists understand how all those pieces of information form a picture of an ancestor's life. Children, however, may not be old enough to grasp that concept. Older kids might see your research as a lot of “homework”. There are some ways to get kids i...
Sep 12
It isn't unheard of for people combine family history and genealogy together. There are conferences and webinars that are described as being for “genealogists and family historians”. The two can be combined, but genealogy and family history are not the same. The best way to understand the differences between genealogy and family history is t...
Sep 3
FamilySearch is frequently adding new things, and making changes to, what they offer to genealogists and family historians. The best way to keep up with what's new is to read the FamilySearch blog. At the end of every month, there is a list of things that are new on FamilySearch. You might find something that you weren't aware of and that you are e...
Aug 27
Gathering your ancestors' vital records (birth-marriage-death) is very important. These are primary sources, usually created at the time the event happened. Yet, many times, you might over look some interesting or important information on such documents. In honor of my own 33rd wedding anniversary, let us look at marriage records to see what is of...
Aug 15
David Levene spent time in 2015 going to many of the scenes of battles, places of death and buildings where events occurred during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Those are actual locations but it was very interesting how Levene took the classic photos he gathered of over 150 years ago and photographed the places now. Comparing the ...
Aug 4
Definition: Genealogy - a study of family ancestors with pertinent data such as birth, marriage and death dates. Family History - an in-depth study of a family lineage with greater emphasize and clarification of each ancestor’s life story. Any beginner to genealogy will start with just learning the individuals in the family. Their parents’ f...
Aug 4
Genealogists often find that it is more difficult to locate information about their female ancestors than it is to learn about their male ancestors. Women who get married take on their husband's surname, and lose their original one. Sometimes, their is a skeleton in the closet that is preventing you from connecting female relatives to your family t...
Jul 25
The online site of Flickr is a photo sharing site. It has many current images but also many vintage photos, some you may have never seen before. When you know an ancestor's hometown, you can use Flickr to see what images of that ancestral hometown might be available. There could be postcards, photos, advertisements, maps, brochures, letters, etc. ...
Jul 22
People tend to think that old newspapers should go straight to the recycle bin. Genealogists, however, know that old newspapers could have treasures inside them! The stack of newspapers you found while cleaning a deceased relative's home could have important information. There are many things to look for in old newspapers. Obituaries An old new...
Jul 21
Summer is a good time to hold a family reunion. The weather is much nicer than it is during the winter, and this allows the event to be held outside. People tend to use their vacation days in the summer. What fun things will your next family reunion include? Try something new. Ask your family members to write about the reunion (and previous family ...